[dot]

Car looks to be in terrific condition from the pictures. How was the drive? Any niggles? Did the clutch feel hard? This is an 06 or 07 model? The power window scratches are actually not that bad when comparing with some of the examples I saw. As I have mentioned before, they can be repainted.

Yes, you can keep aside about 50k for all the changes mentioned by @smartcat. But thats nothing compared to the depreciation advantage and the fact that a well maintained Civic will last for ages.

[Delta Wing]

arvi86,
Since you've not yet got the car, consider these points too:
-Be sure to check for telltale signs of accident damage (through inspection of the car and indirectly through insurance for exa. was the insurance co. changed suddenly at last renewal? etc.). There're many threads here that tell you about inspecting a car, go through them.
-Whatever said, rest assured that maintenance cost is going to be high initially till you settle with the car. As brought out by smartcat, brakes and clutch would be major for you (am not aware of the Civic's maintenace but 45 K for clutch seems a bit early to me, I may be wrong).
-Despite all precautions, there is always that 0.1% chance that you may end up with an expensive to own car (a lemon even, if i may say). Do keep a financial buffer to absorb a shock. Am sure you've got all the calculations down pat.
-Don't mean to be a spoilsport with that last point. Hope this only helps you find the car of your desire and be practical as possible. Cheers.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by dot

Car looks to be in terrific condition from the pictures. How was the drive? Any niggles? Did the clutch feel hard? This is an 06 or 07 model?

Originally Posted by Delta Wing

arvi86,
Since you've not yet got the car, consider these points too:
-Be sure to check for telltale signs of accident damage (through inspection of the car and indirectly through insurance for exa. was the insurance co. changed suddenly at last renewal? etc.).

Thanks for your inputs Dot and for your valuable pieces of advice Delta Wing.

Drive was good. After driving Santro, I don't know whether I am the right judge, but the clutch play was good, not that hard. Its a 2007 model. I have a couple of doubts:
1. Only the rear windshield is 2006 make. All other windows and front windshield are 2007 make. Is this normal? AFAIK, all glasses should have same year of manufacture.
2. The Insurance had a NCB of 50%. I guess that is the maximum amount and I assume that the owner had insured with the same company since he bought the car. Are my assumptions/guesses right?

[swiftnfurious]

Good points by smartcat ! The car looks good to me too ! If you want to go with the same car, please make sure you get the discount for the amounts that you will need to shell out soon. Else just try and search for another car - Sure you will find another one!

One point for you to keep in mind will be the high service cost. Since you are upgrading from a small car to a big one, the spare costs / service charges also will be higher. So as someone rightly pointed out, please do have some financial buffer.

Wish you good luck with your search!

PS: If you decide to buy a pre-owned car from Delhi / Mumbai and bring it to Chennai, you just need to get it re-registered? And how much that will be ? Its the same road tax that had to be paid for a brand new Civic or will there be depreciation cost on it? Some time I feel its better to go and buy a car from North because of it low prices and then bring it to South and get it re-registered! Not really sure that will be a wise decision with respect to the over all amount to be paid for it [the price of used car + re-registration]

[mdsaab]

From the pics you posted the car seems in pretty good shape.
My only concern is the rear Honda Logo, does this area look repainted to you? did the owner or dealer shed some light as to why the logo isn't straight?
Mahindra First Choice is a good place to find a good example, fellow bhpian @dot picked up his civic from First Choice and i can vouch that he got a good example.
You are going to run into some expenses when you pick her up, but hey insurance will have to be paid now or a little later anyways, so that doesn't matter too much. The 30K service will be a bit pricy, so be prepared for that.
Also wanted to ask you if you considered a CRV? we had seen a nice 2005 AT example for 7.5 negotiable.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

PS: If you decide to buy a pre-owned car from Delhi / Mumbai and bring it to Chennai, you just need to get it re-registered? And how much that will be ? Some time I feel its better to go and buy a car from North because of it low prices and then bring it to South and get it re-registered! Not really sure that will be a wise decision with respect to the over all amount to be paid for it [the price of used car + re-registration]

Exactly. Many a times in the past, I had the idea of buying a car from Mumbai/Delhi and then bring it to Chennai and get it re-registered. But practically, its just not possible. So, I have learnt to live with the high prices down south.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

From the pics you posted the car seems in pretty good shape.
My only concern is the rear Honda Logo, does this area look repainted to you? did the owner or dealer shed some light as to why the logo isn't straight?
Also wanted to ask you if you considered a CRV? we had seen a nice 2005 AT example for 7.5 negotiable.

When I go to the dealer with the car, I need to check up the mystery with the rear logo. But no, it didn't look like it had been repainted for my eyes, but who knows, my eyes may have deceived me.
No, I didn't consider CR-V. The whole point of me stretching my limits and going for it now is only because its a 'Civic' and its my long cherished dream to own one.

PS: Since last February when I bought the Santro, I have totally spent around 42,000 rupees on it for maintenance till date (15000 for brand-new tires + 18000 for the last service which included new front struts, air filter, oil filter, engine hoses and battery + 2000 for wash/general services + 7000 for insurance). I presume, if I get the Civic, I would need to spend something in the range of 75,000 for the first year. Is it a right buffer that I have or will there be a deeper hole in my pocket which I may not be able to afford?

[ff1609]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Good points by smartcat ! The car looks good to me too ! If you want to go with the same car, please make sure you get the discount for the amounts that you will need to shell out soon. Else just try and search for another car - Sure you will find another one!

One point for you to keep in mind will be the high service cost. Since you are upgrading from a small car to a big one, the spare costs / service charges also will be higher. So as someone rightly pointed out, please do have some financial buffer.

Wish you good luck with your search!

PS: If you decide to buy a pre-owned car from Delhi / Mumbai and bring it to Chennai, you just need to get it re-registered? And how much that will be ? Its the same road tax that had to be paid for a brand new Civic or will there be depreciation cost on it? Some time I feel its better to go and buy a car from North because of it low prices and then bring it to South and get it re-registered! Not really sure that will be a wise decision with respect to the over all amount to be paid for it [the price of used car + re-registration]

It is a hassle buying a car from one state and re-registering it in another. In the north, you can drive a car with any state's registration and you wouldn't have a problem. However, its a different story in the south. If you buy a car lets say in Delhi, you need to obtain a no objection certificate from the Delhi RTO, then you bring the NOC and your address proof etc to your RTO in Bangalore (for example) and pay Karnataka road tax (the tax rate varies depending on the value and age of the car. In Karnataka, for a car valued between 5-8 lacs, tax is 14.3% of (invoice value minus depreciation). They assume very little depreciation e.g. for a car between 3-4 years of age, you pay tax on 81% of its original ex-showroom price.

Also, factor in the transport costs - Delhi to Bangalore with a reliable car carrier would cost around 15k, some times even the 'best' transporters drive your car in spite of promising transport by car carrier - lots of bhpians would have horror stories around that too.

[mdsaab]

i feel 75K is a good enough buffer. You will be quite surprised that the civic is actually quite cheap to maintain. what you should do is take the car to the ASC and get a check up done, you can pay for the checkup. This way all near term expenses will come to light and you can be prepared for the amount you will have to shell out in the near term. Assuming that the car is decently maintained. You would have nothing to worry about.
As Civic is your long cherished dream, GO FOR IT!

[Ace F355]

Hello arvi86,

apologies for bumping into your query so late! Straight to the point, no matter what new sadan you will buy, nothing will give you the satisfaction of owning a Civic!

Financial practicality is an important thing to consider but if it is your long time dream to buy a Civic, I'd say go for it! Nothing else will make you happier because every time you will see a Civic driving by, your heart will definitely sink thinking you could have bought one for yourself! If you have a passion for owning a Civic, and if it really is your dream car; I will suggest to follow what your heart says to you!

Now, back to pre-worshipped cars! Honestly, it is not that difficult to find a good condition Civic and there are plenty of them available. Go for a car that is mechanically perfect , physical bruises are unavoidable and can be taken care of later too!

- Take the car in question to your Honda dealer and get it inspected thoroughly for a clean health status inquiry! Also, ask them how much will you need to spend on it, in case if you buy the car! Honda's estimates for most mechanical problems are down to reality, same can not be said for cosmetic jobs done through them!

- Check with insurer for any accidental/major repairs.

- Try to negotiate as hard as possible based on various factors viz. worn out tyres, battery, insurance due for renewal in coming months etc and try to get best value out of the deal.

- In case it is a really low mileage and awesomely maintained vehicle, do not think hard for paying some extra money for the same! The car will repay it back to you in the long run.

Lastly, I'd say go with your heart; all the questions in your mind will automatically disappear when you and your loved ones will be driving around in your very own dream car! Trust me, it has happened to me!

Good Luck with your purchasing decision and keep us posted!





To help you out a little about the buffer you need after making the purchase, I made the calculations about the money I spent on my Civic! I have posted them in my thread and am posting them here too!

Price for the Stock car - 6.5 L
Refurbishing Exterior/Interior - 13,000
Custom Headlights/Tail lights - 26,000
Rear Spoiler - 6,000
Goodies (including K&N Typhoon) bought from Canada/USA - 25,000
New rubber on all 5 wheels, Yoko A Drives - 25,000
Sunfilms (Llumar) - 7,600
Alloy painting - 5,000
Side Step Garnish - 2,200
Reverse Parking Sensors (Blackcat) - 3,500
Body kit (purchase, painting and fitting) - 18,000
Misc - 10,000
40K service - 7,800

Grand Total ~ 8 L

End result - a car that came to me like this!


and have become something like this...

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

i feel 75K is a good enough buffer. You will be quite surprised that the civic is actually quite cheap to maintain.
As Civic is your long cherished dream, GO FOR IT!

I hope what you said is true and the Civic remains cheap to maintain.

Originally Posted by Ace F355

Hello arvi86,

apologies for bumping into your query so late! Straight to the point, no matter what new sadan you will buy, nothing will give you the satisfaction of owning a Civic!
and have become something like this...

Ace F355. My sincere apologies first for what I am going to say next. You are the main culprit for me.
It was only after seeing your Civic that I decided I had to go for it somehow. Remember, even in your ownership thread, I would have posted that you had advanced my search for a pre-owned Civic by atleast one year. But, even I didn't knew then that it would start happening so soon.

[Ace F355]

Originally Posted by arvi86

I hope what you said is true and the Civic remains cheap to maintain.

Civic is and will be cheap to maintain, as long as you don't crash it! Drive it with bit of a care and you will be really surprised by the cost effectiveness of your decision!

Originally Posted by arvi86

Ace F355. My sincere apologies first for what I am going to say next. You are the main culprit for me.
It was only after seeing your Civic that I decided I had to go for it somehow. Remember, even in your ownership thread, I would have posted that you had advanced my search for a pre-owned Civic by atleast one year. But, even I didn't knew then that it would start happening so soon.

Glad to be of some inspiration to you! Yep, I remember you saying you won't be buying the car soon! But when we start getting the itch, it is hard to control yourself, isn't it?

Wish you all the best in finding a well maintained example that will serve you for years to come!

[mdsaab]

Please visit the honda civic maintainance thread.
@hiren.mistry just did his 30K service ~ which cost him only 7K.
The breakup is provided on the thread.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by Ace F355

Yep, I remember you saying you won't be buying the car soon! But when we start getting the itch, it is hard to control yourself, isn't it?

Very true. Once you start feeling the pressure from within, you just can't help it.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Please visit the honda civic maintainance thread.
@hiren.mistry just did his 30K service ~ which cost him only 7K.
The breakup is provided on the thread.

Thats great news. Thanks for the info.

[arvi86]

As they always say "Appearances are often deceptive". Yesterday, when I inspected the car, I found out that the rear windsheild had a 06 number while the car and all other glasses had 07. Today, I found the reason for it and with it some other startling facts too:

1. Rear windshield has been replaced after 3rd service.
2. The right front fender has been repaired at the dealer's Body Shop with a bill amount of 12000.
3. In subsequent services, both the front rocker panels have been repaired.
4. The Worst Fact of them all - When the dealership spoke to the owner today, he said that he has sold the car by Feb itself and got the money when the car was driven just 25000 odd kms. These morons have either driven it for the next 4000 kms or some other second owner has driven the car without changing the registration and put it up for sale.

With such a rosy background behind it, I decided to say 'TATA' to the car. So, my search for the perfect Civic is set to continue.

Thanks to all the Team BHPians for equipping me with enough knowledge to identify what is what.

[@Chaand]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Arvi, In the past one year, I've spent around Rs. 75,000 on maintaining the Civic

Tyres - Rs. 20,000 (immediately after purchase, 35000 km)

Is it mandatory to replace the tires at 35k or did you do it for any other reason?
How were the treads on the tyres when you bought the car?